Is this extension within PD (before I spend any money!)

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Hi

We're having a conservatory replaced with an extension this year, and wish to build a first floor extension as part of the plans.

I've had a good look at the planning portal site, regards permitted development, however the council will not answer my "do I need planning permission?" question without relieving me of £86 first.

Can anyone please offer advice? I've attached the plans below. Many thanks.

 
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Looks good to me provided you're not in an AONB or Conservation Area or other oddity. And your property has all of its PD rights intact of course.
 
Thanks FMT, I'm presently trying to confirm the other aspect of building here, which is the covenants on the estate to obtain permission from the council due to it being ex-council. To be honest I don't think anyone else has ever asked (and it includes sheds etc.) but I need it confirmed for peace of mind.

The main reason I ask, and what threw my confidence a bit, was reading the following on the planning portal website (this document):

Someone at the government said:
(g) the enlarged part of the dwellinghouse would be within 2 metres of the boundary of the curtilage of the dwellinghouse, and the height of the eaves of the enlarged part would exceed 3 metres.

Where any part of a proposed extension to a house is within two metres of the boundary of the land surrounding the property, then the maximum height of the eaves that is allowed for all parts of the proposal is three metres.
I read that to mean that if I build a one storey extension the full width, I'd be within PD. Also if I build a two storey extension in the middle, I'd be within PD. But building both at the same time, I wouldn't. It didn't seem to make sense, but is that your experience of the interpretation?
 
Unfortunately you are correct in your interpretation.
Although the eaves of the two-storey part are further than 2m from the boundary, the whole extension is caught. That design would need planning permission.
 
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OK thanks both. Apologies for the leading question, I should have explained my concern earlier.

With respect to getting PP, and starting work, I understand the former can be a long process. Mindful of the want to start work as soon as practicable, and assuming no major verbal concerns from neighbours, plus party wall etc, are we OK (in your experience) to start the work before planning permission is granted (and build just the first storey if we truly have to)?

There's a lot of ground work to do in either case, plus replacement of sewer pipe which will cross the extension. I've seen it done on Grand Designs but it's not exactly the real world.
 
What would the situation be if you genuinely commenced work on a single storey extension, and it only occurred to you afterwards that you might like to build a second storey?
 
are we OK (in your experience) to start the work before planning permission is granted


'Experience' in this instance means nothing! It is always at the developer's risk when building without planning permission, if p.p. is in fact needed.

Having said that, it is not a criminal offence to build something without planning permission; the only sanction the LPA has is one of enforcement.
However, the guidelines make it clear that LPAs should not use enforcement, or the threat of enforcement, to force someone to make a planning application for something which would ordinarily receive planning permission.

If the proposal falls within the council's published policy guidelines for domestic extensions, there would be no grounds on which they could refuse an application.
 
Thanks Tony, I think that's the most honest and direct answer I've ever had on these forums!

I'll proceed with the application and keep it honest with the neighbours. I believe the design to be within the council's guidelines, hence the 45 degree lines to the windows: they talk mainly of front-facing extensions but even so an extension last year was completed outside these guidelines with an application taking a not-unreasonable time.

Thanks again.
 
Well we got the permission last night and got neighbours to sign party wall letter. All looking good so far.

Really annoyed though at cowboy "Party Wall Surveyors" writing to the octogenarians on the other side and confusing them with 'official' letters. I'm sure they wrote to the attached house too so glad we got that sorted when we did.
 
Yes. There's some kind of Party Wall scam going around apparently. Best thing is to inform the police.
 
May not be a scam, it may be just plain old-fashioned touting for work by scaremongering.

Party-wall surveyors trawl through planning applications, and often write to the neighbours either side.

They warn them of all sorts of dire consequences about what is going on 'next door' if they don't get the surveyor on board.
 

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